On our south Burnaby walk we noticed this not quite sun dog, not quite rainbow effect.
Cormorant Fishing Near Science World in Vancouver
I went to downtown Vancouver late this afternoon, a couple of hours ahead of the start of Coastal Connections, the gathering of students, faculty, consultants, and stewards in the fishy business.
Those hours proved productive as I got lots of shots of this Double-Crested Cormorant doing some successful fishing near Science World.
I guesstimate that it got a fish about once every three dives. Now if I could catch a fish once every three casts. . .
UPDATE 4/19: Pelagic Cormorant?
Down the hatch!
Excellent Applebaum Interview on ‘Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine’
Anne Applebaum, author of Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine, gives a deep, balanced interview on the Holodomor, the forced famine/genocide in Ukraine perpetrated by Stalin and the Soviet regime.
Rain Blesses Byrne Creek Ravine with Lush, Soft Colors
A benefit to walking the ravine in the rain is that you pretty much have it to yourself. Saw only one other person in a one-hour ramble. And the rain produces lush, soft colors.
Reifel Birding Bonanza
We had a wonderful three-hour ramble round the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary today.
Sandhill Crane
House Sparrow? (I still have trouble with LBBs – – little brown birds : – )
Wigeons
Wigeon
Wood Duck female
Wood Duck male
Red-Winged Blackbird
Checking out the view from Yumi’s head
Brown-Headed Cowbirds
Chickadee
Crow
Downy Woodpecker
Golden-Crowned Sparrow
Great Blue Heron
LBB
LBB
LBB
Mallard
Merganser
Pintail synchro
Ring-Necked Duck
Rufous Hummingbird
Salmonberry
Playing Tourist at Home, Er, Near Home
Spent several hours on this sunny day photographing architecture and people around Canada Place in downtown Vancouver. My wife Yumi met me there after work, and treated me to dinner at Happa Izakaya — thanks!
Here are a few shots:
Bagging Birds (with Camera) at Iona Beach
Spent three or four hours at Iona Beach Regional Park this afternoon, part of Metro Vancouver’s superb regional parks system.
American Goldfinch
Photographers were drooling over this bluebird. I was, like, that’s a bluebird? : -)
Crows are so smart and cool. . .
Tree swallows having a, er, friendly chat over real estate
Thinking Double-Crested Cormorant?
Red-Winged Blackbird
Snow Geese spooked by an eagle
Said eagle contemplating its poor luck and plotting its next move — and no, I’m not making this up, it flew straight across and I saw it land in this tree.
Gotta Love Pileated Woodpeckers – Astounding Colors
We enjoyed watching this Pileated Woodpecker in Ron McLean Park in SE Burnaby, BC, today.
Invasive Stink Bug Knocking on Our Door
UPDATE from BC Ag — it’s not invasive:
Hi Paul, thanks for the photo and note. This is a stink bug, but not a Brown Marmorated Stink bug, thankfully. It is a rough stink bug, Brochymena species, which is actually a predator, and commonly found around the Vancouver area.
We came across an interesting bug on our front door about a week ago. After posting a photo on Facebook, several folks said it was an invasive stink bug. When I went back out to trap it, it had disappeared.
Well, yesterday it reappeared, so I have it in a small plastic container in our freezer.
Some info from the BC government here.
Signs of Spring in the Lower Mainland
Nice to see cherry blossoms and magnolias approaching their peak in Vancouver and Burnaby.
Museum of Vancouver
Maritime Museum